


Drift Compatible.

by Thousandsmiles



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anteverse, Drift Compatibility, Drift Partners, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hydra, Jeagers, Kaiju, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, No Slash, a plot as an excuse to write fluff, drift capability
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-10-20 14:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10664901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thousandsmiles/pseuds/Thousandsmiles
Summary: They were the world’s first drift pair: Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Then Bucky Barnes was killed by a Category three and Steve Rogers crashed in the ice.When Steve awakens it's to find that the kaiju are still coming. Circumstances make it that he volunteers to step into a Jaeger again but he needs a co-pilot. Enter Tony Stark, J-tech extraordinaire and one heck of a pilot, who hasn't been able find anyone compatible with him. Steve however just may be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers of Pacific Rim.

They were the world’s first drift pair. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. The Jaeger technology was hardly tested, but the kaiju were coming in and someone needed to stop them.

For a time, they were heroes of the war. The Howling commandoes assisted them, helping to stop hydra from using the Tesseract to open the Anteverse but when they were too late, Steve and Bucky climbed into the jaeger and into each other’s heads, to save as much lives as they could.

Ripping, tearing, a part of him gone.

Steve screamed but Bucky was gone. He could see his body tumbling into the Alaskan surf and then kaiju filled his vision.

He didn’t know how he piloted the jaeger back by himself. He had no memory of it. All he could feel was Bucky, Bucky, Bucky. And he was no longer there.

Peggy found him drowning his sorrows or attempting to.

One more time. That was what she coaxed out of him. Hydra was still there, they still had the tesseract. Revenge. A way to save the world. Steve took it.

Crashing the plane wasn’t in the plan but he couldn’t, couldn’t let the bombs be let off, couldn’t let anyone get the tesseract ever again.

Seventy years into the future and Steve discovered the Jaegers had improved. There were sleek, shining things, with holograms and AIs. The tesseract was in friendly hands but now the Anteverse had opened a passage into earth all on their own. The kaiju were still coming. The world, he’d thought he’d saved was still in danger.

It was a depressing thought.

 

* * *

 

“We need you,” Nick Fury told him, “But we won’t force you.”

Steve rested one hand on the swaying punch bag in front of him and admitted, “I don’t think I could ever have anyone in my head again. I know it’s been years for you but to me it’s like I lost him a few weeks ago.”

“Alright,” Fury said raising his hands, “If you ever change your mind let us know. But if you want, you could help out in LOCCENT.”

“Maybe I will,” said Steve hollowly.

Steve finds himself in LOCCENT the next week because he’s never been out of war and doesn’t know what to do with himself. No matter how much he can’t have somebody in his head, Steve just can’t know people are in danger and not want to do something to help. LOCCENT is his compromise.

 

* * *

 

Maria Hill is the J-tech in charge of LOCCENT, she does her duties efficiently but also takes the time out of her schedule to explain to Steve all the advances of modern technology. Yet for all that the Jaeger technology has expanded, the Jaeger program is on its last legs. Steve thinks it’s ironic that he is here for both the start and end of the jaeger program.

The world is relying on the Wall of Life. Steve thinks it’s a stupid idea, knows it won’t work and doesn’t hesitate to say it.

“We all know it,” Maria told him, “But the governments won’t hear of it.”

He spends two weeks in LOCCENT before they manage to coax him down to the training mats.

“They’re the last batch of recruits before the academy closed down,” Hill tells him as they pass the training mats on their way to the mess hall for lunch.

“The second to last, actually,” she corrects herself, “The last batch of recruits were turned off. It didn’t make sense to keep them when there was so much they didn’t know.”

“Second years won’t know enough either, “Steve says, “Why keep them?”

“Drift Capability,” Hill answers. “Not all our third years will be drift compatible with each other so we need to keep a pool of drift capable people to test them with.”

It makes sense Steve notes inwardly. While the whole world knows about drift compatibility, not many people know about drift capability. Some people are just literally unable to step into another’s persons head or conversely allow someone else into theirs. It didn’t matter if they were compatible or not. The situation was just too traumatic for them to endure.

First year tested the physical capabilities of the students, the second began with testing drift capability. Anyone unable to do so got out of the program.

He doesn’t realize that he’s stopped at the mats until Maria says questioningly, “Steve?”

He jerks and nods and follows her but stops after a moment. “These are the second years?” he asks.

“Yes,” says Maria, “but they didn’t get to finish that second year.”

It shows. The recruits do not know how to spar right, how to switch from fighting to dialogue. They don’t know how to find a physically capable partner nor a mentally capable one. They either will never match with anyone or they will and they’ll get both pilots killed.

“Why is no one teaching them?” he asked.

“They are,” said Maria but the Jaeger pilots that we have just don’t have the time and they’re the ones with the experience.”

Steve is silent for a moment and then he says, “I’ll catch up with you.”

“Are you sure?” asked Hill.

“Yeah,” he says. She eyes him for a moment and then leaves. The recruits who have been studiously ignoring both of them look up as he steps into the room properly.

“May I enter?” he asks and after a moment, they nod. “I’m Steve Rogers,” he said, “But I guess you all knew that.”

There are a few quick smiles but overall, they remain highly decorous. “I hear you got pulled out from your training when the academy closed,” he continued. “Now I don’t know how they do it now but if you like I can help you with what I know.”

There is a moment when they seriously considered his proposal and then a young man speaks up. “I’d like that,” he said. Steve nods back and one of the students hand him a staff.

Maria finds him two hours later when he has worked his way through three quarters of the students trying to let them get a feel of how to spar as a dialogue, how to use the sparing to get a feel for the other person, how to tell how their mind works and how to know if you would be able to work with them.

It’s slow going but Steve talks the entire time, fighting back tears on occasion, and the students get better and better as they learn from their peers’ mistakes. She waits until he finished and then hands him a tray when he walks over.

“You missed lunch,” she told him.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Are you going to help them?”

“When I can,” he says. “I can’t do this very often.” Maria nods her head in understanding.

“You should go shower,” she says abruptly, “We’ll see you later.” Steve gives her a little smile and does go to shower. Luckily, he remembers to drop of his tray in his room first.

* * *

 

He spends three days out of each week training the recruits. He spars some with the third years to get some practice but they’re all slower and weaker than he is and he doesn’t get a proper workout with them although they try.

Try as he might, Steve can’t help comparing them to Bucky. Bucky who still managed to be almost as fast as Steve and could hit hard enough to make it a challenge. Bucky who knew Steve well enough to predict his moves and thus trip him up. He spends a lot more time with the punchbags, fighting to fill the hole in his head, in his soul.

Sometimes the pain is so bad he can’t breathe. Other times Steve feels oddly detached from everything. Like if he can’t feel anything now that Bucky is gone. They’d been close before, they’d been brothers, but the drift, the drift was no place for secrets, no place to hide, it was like being turned inside out with everything you ever wanted to hide, every secret fear, every secret hope, exposed. Your drift partner was someone who saw all that and didn’t care, someone who cared about you even when you’re reveled to be disgustingly human. Bucky had been that person; the one Steve had placed all of himself in his hands and found comfort at the act instead of fear and he’d been the same for Bucky. It wasn’t something he could ever forget. His loss wasn’t something that would ever go away.

Still Steve tries not to compare the recruits to Bucky, tries not think every time he spars that he is betraying Bucky and looking for a new partner because he isn’t but sparing makes him think of it.

* * *

 

It’s a measly four months after Steve has begun training the recruits when disaster strikes. It’s one of his second year recruits and a third year who are standing as backup for an experienced jaeger team. They were holding the miracle mile while the other jaeger engaged the kaiju. They were just backup really. No one had ever though they they’d be engaged. The fight was far from them but the kaiju had knocked down it’s engaging jaeger, and doubled back to the coast.

The blow form the kaiju had shorted out the first jaeger’s team mobility in its left leg. It took them a few precious moments to reroute power but by that time the kaiju had already reached the miracle mile.

They’d fought well, Steve’s students, especially for a pair that had drifted to fight for the first time. But the inexperience was their undoing and category three’s were never anything to snuff at. By the time the first jaeger had caught up to them they were already dead. The kaiju had been killed soon after but the damage had already been done.

Steve left LOCCENT in daze. He’d seen people he’d known die before. Of course, he had. He’d been in war, seen so many of his comrades die but this, this hurt more. He reached his room and promptly threw up in the toilet.

When his stomach was empty, he sat in the floor, swallowing hard. This hurt worse because this was his fault. If he hadn’t been so sensitive, hadn’t dealt his scruples then maybe two young, promising men wouldn’t be dead in the pacific, wallowing in kaiju blue-stained water.

He finds himself in Fury’s office a few minutes later.

“Marshall,” he says, “If you’ll still have me, I’d like to start trials for a drift partner.”

Fury looks at him for a long while and then nods. “Fine,” he said, “Choose well, Rogers.”

Steve gives a stiff military nod and then walked out the office.

 

 


	2. Dialogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony spar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

The word that Steve was looking for a co-pilot spread fast. There were quite a few of the students who would have loved to copilot with Captain America but most of the students had seen him spar before and luckily a lot realized that they weren’t going to be able to manage it. Some of the more dutiful ones showed up however and those who honestly thought they might be able to drift well enough with him to copilot.

The first day was a sad failure since Steve took his 'fan' students first. The next day was better and although none was well enough Steve managed to identify a few possible prospects.

The third and last day Steve took the final few who had decided to try just because they might as well. He was on his third trial for the day when he became aware that he had some new spectators. One was Hill, the other was Tony Stark, Howard's son.

Howard's death, like those of the Commandos had hit him hard. Still he would have liked to have met Howard’s son but Tony Stark apparently had had an aversion to meeting him and so Steve hadn't pushed. Seeing him here was a surprise. However, unlike Hill who watched each spar intently, Stark spent most of his time buried in his tablet and only on occasion lifted his head to inspect the trials.

Steve ignored them both as best he could and focused on the trials. The students he sparred with were surprisingly better than the two days. It was, Steve concluded, that they weren’t quite so serious about it and thus were able to be themselves more than the others, giving Steve a better view of how they really were.

Still, none of them really stood out to him and he finished sparring with the last student, shaking their hands and thanking them for coming, even while he was feeling rather disappointed. At the same time though he was rather relieved, not because he didn’t want anyone else in his head but because he didn’t want any one of them to die.

His relief was cut short by a degrading snort from Stark. It was apparently in response to Steve’s thanks to the student and was so depreciating that it instantly raised Steve’s hackles.

“Problem?” he asked coolly.

“Oh, no,” he said, “I’m sure they’re doing their best.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “You think you can do better?”

“I know I can do better,” Stark said dismissively which made Steve even angrier because at least the students were trying. Stark, a graduated pilot, apparently couldn’t even be bothered to try.

“Prove it,” said Steve his anger and the frustration of the last three days pushing him to speak recklessly.

“You do know that I graduated from the academy right, which none of these have done? And I graduated top of my class. That’s proof enough!” Stark said.

“That’s a piece of paper,” said Steve. “Prove it. Spar with me.”

“I don’t have to prove anything to you!” snapped Stark annoyance changing to anger. His acid tone snapped Steve out of his dangerously swirling emotions and he took a deep breath and visibly calmed himself.

“You’re right,” he said, “You don’t. I’m sorry. But I’m asking, spar with me?”

Stark glared at him through narrowed eyes clearly unsure how to take is apology or his offer but after a moment, he snatched the staff Steve was holding out to him and toed off his shoes.

Steve picked up another staff and they stepped towards the middle of the mat. Stark was still annoyed if the tilt of his brows was anything to go by but he was here on the mats and took his stance. A moment later Hill called the start.

Stark moved instantly. He was fast, faster than any of the recruits, but to Steve, he was still slow enough for him to counter comfortably. It was only a few blows later that he managed to ‘land’ a blow in an opening.

“One, zero,” he said staff hovering above Stark’s skin. Stark said nothing but after a brief pause, he whirled. Steve whirled to counter him and had to stop short when Stark changed tactics midway through, the movement arcing down instead of up. Steve twisted to counter, his enhanced speed giving him the edge he needed to meet the blow in time but Stark abandoned the movement, stepping away, twisting and stepping back in, staff swooping in precise motions.

Steve whirled in response, attacking, but Stark managed to slip cleverly away each time, clearly somehow managing to predict Steve’s motions in time to avoid them. He was smart, Steve realized far too late. Incredibly, ridiculously smart because as far as Steve could tell, the only way to avoid someone so much stronger and faster than you would be to somehow map all the possible moves they could do and be prepared for each one.

He was also an incredible fighter. His form was perfect, speaking of long, hard practice and he swung the staff like it was an extension of him. Something the recruits hadn’t quite ever managed. Stark, Steve realized, understood why rangers were taught staff fighting, understood the purpose of it, something the recruits did not.

He was still angry at Steve’s words but confident with in his skills. He channeled his anger efficiently, and moved quick and light. The crash of his staff against Steve’s was surprisingly strong. When you first saw him, he didn’t give the appearance of strength. But he had it. Strength and determination, stubbornness, and pride, humor, Steve noted next, a love for the fight, elegance, style from the swirling, flowing motion that he used to sweep Steve of his feet.

Steve jumped to avoid being swept of his feet and when he landed he was greeted by a staff hovering by his face.

“One: one,” said Stark.

Steve twisted his staff, engaging the end that threatening his face, whirled to place his back to Stark shoving his staff behind him.

Stark’s stiffness, told him his staff had come close to landing a blow. “2:1” Steve offered back over his shoulder with a smirk. Stark grabbed Steve’s staff and stepped closer to Steve, twisting as he did so to trap Steve’s staff against his side and lashed out with his own.

Steve rolled forward still holding onto his staff and tossed Stark over him and laid him out flat on his back but stark rolled, came up to his feet, jabbing forward with his staff as he did so. Steve stepped back to avoid the first jab and opened himself up for the second one.

“2:2” said Stark, a wicked gleam lighting up his eyes for a moment. “Keep up old man.”

Steve moved, engaging him in a flurry of blows, gauging just how he moved and felt Stark do the same for him. Stark won the next point and Steve won another a scant second after him.

“3:3” he breathed eyes locked onto Stark’s. “Careful what you wish for.” he added and watched Stark's mouth edge up into a reluctant grin.

They were in motion a second after that, Steve in strategic plays, and Tony in graceful, clinical motions. It was more of a dance that last encounter. Tony was warmed up enough by now that he was moving at his best which was a far faster than he had started at. He also now had a good gage on how Steve moved and exactly how fast and strong he was. He turned Steve’s strength against him, worked around his speed, threw in convoluted but brilliant plans in motion to get another point on him.

Steve, fighting the best that he’d had at since he woke up, was working on being as unpredictable as possible, putting all his knowledge into play about tactics to find the gap in Tony’s knowledge. He used his strength and speed to advantage, worked out how Tony was responding to them and responded to Tony’s response.

The fourth point was simultaneously won, and both Steve and Tony was left breathing harshly with the staffs at each other’s throats.

They stared at each other for a long moment and then stepped back, giving the customary bow and then Stark tossed his staff to Steve saying.

“Well that’s my exercise for the day!” With that he, snatched up his shoes and walked out the training room.

Steve blinked after him and Maria clapped startling everyone. “Alright! Thank you for coming everyone,” she said. “You’ll be notified of you make it any further in the trials. Dismissed.”

The recruits nodded to her and busily went away, taking great care not to look at Steve. Steve looked at Maria grateful that she had taken charge for that moment.

“You’re welcome. Now don’t look at me,” she said, “You’ll have to ask him yourself.”

Steve huffed out a laugh. “Was it so obvious?”

“Well that was the first conversation you’ve had all day,” she said blandly, “Everything else was just small talk!”


	3. Co-pilot With Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve asks Tony to be his co-pilot.

Steve found Tony in one of the J-tech labs. He was perched on the edge of a table working on his tablet.

Steve knocked on the closed door. Stark looked up, went still for a scant moment and then walked over. He hit the intercom and said through the door.

“I don't think you have clearance for this room captain.”

Steve shrugged. “I won't touch anything.”

“You follow the rules huh?” said Stark a note of disdain in his voice.

“I am still asking you to let me in,” Steve pointed out.

“Fair enough. You like to live dangerously.”

“He knew Stark was teasing him but he said. “I’m a soldier and a ranger. Which part made you think I like to play it safe?”

 Tony gave a startled laugh and the door hissed open.

“Don’t touch anything,” he ordered, teasing, yet utterly serious. Steve raised his hands to indicate that he would do no such thing and entered the lab. IT wasn’t like the labs they’d had in his time. Everytign was much more futuristic; sleek, blinking things with holograms and tools made out of graceful lines.

“So what's up Cap?” says Tony.

“I’d like you to co-pilot with me,” Steve said bluntly looking away from his surroundings and focusing on Tony.

“Uh, no,” said tony equally blunt.

Steve frowned. “I won't push,” he said “but you are the most drift compatible person I've sparred with here. And you are a ranger. Don't you want to pilot?”

Tony let out a seemingly harsh laugh. “Did you know I was the first person that they approached when they were contemplating a copilot for you? You know back before they realized that you wouldn’t just take any list they handed you.”

“What?” Said Steve frowning.

“Why do you think I showed up? I wanted to see you lived up the hype and I wanted to see why on earth Fury thought we could be drift compatible.” There was a funny, acid tone in his voice that Steve couldn't quite understand.

“I mean,” Tony continued, “I understand that your enhanced healing would give you an edge when drifting with me but it wouldn't matter if we weren't drift compatible.”

“Wait,” said Steve confused now, “why would my enhanced healing give me an edge when drifting with you?”

Starks eyebrows raised. “And here I thought you read my file.” He put down the tablet, leaned back on the table and explained flatly.

“People don't survive drifting with me.”

Steve blinked. “What?”

“Well so we assume since they've never let anyone actually die from it,” he continued. “The longest I think I've ever drifted with someone was 4 minutes and 3 seconds.  And I think she stayed in the med bay for three weeks after.”

“Why?” asked Steve feeling unable to articulate anything more.

Stark shrugged. “They can't handle the neural load.”

“But the neural load refers to working with the jaegers,” Steve objected.

“Sure,” Stark agrees carelessly, “but my brain literally works too fast for anyone to handle.”

“Then how did you get through the academy?” asked Steve in genuine confusion.

“I can drift with the simulation A.I. just fine,” said Stark.

Steve blinked once more, feeling like a cartoon character as he took it all in. Anthony Stark was literally too smart to drift with anyone. He was literally as smart as a computer and his brain whirled just as fast. Drifting with him was as trying to drift with the control units for a jaeger on your own.

“Does that mean you can drift alone?” Steve asked in curiosity.

“Not for long,” said Stark. “The neural load will be too much for even me after a time because I’ll be drifting with two AIs instead of one. But I’ve done it,” he shrugged, “in something much smaller and classified.”

Steve contemplated this new information. Then he said in perfect seriousness, “Will you be my co-pilot?”

Tony stared at him. “Did you not hear one word that I just said?”

“I thought you read my file,” Steve threw back at him.

Stark gave him a startled look and then his mouth twitched.

“If you want to fry your brain, who am I to argue,” he said eventually.

“9 o’ clock?” said Steve.

“Make it 10,” said Stark, “The techs will kill you if you make them set up a test that early. It’ll run into their maintenance.”

“Done,” said Steve.

“Good,” said Tony, “Get out.” Steve obliged.

 

* * *

 

Steve slept badly that night. The thought of drifting with someone else, even someone he chose was awful. He felt like he was betraying Bucky. It was as if it had been the final straw to admitting that he truly was gone. Moreover, he wasn’t sure that he could face the memories that the drift was sure to dredge up. Not only his memories either but Bucky's memories that he'd shared with him.

His dreams were full of ice, dark, waves crashing into him, the spray coming into the ripped open conn pod, Bucky falling into the surf, his fear flooding through Steve, the awful ripping away of his mind from Steve's.

Steve woke up violently in a cold sweat. He breathed harshly and crawled out of bed. A couple splashes of water on his face woke him up properly and he snatched up his wraps and headed off to the gym.

* * *

 

 

He’d been pounding on the bag for over two hours when a voice interrupted him.

“Do you ever get tired of hitting that?” Steve stopped and turned to see Stark leaning on the doorway still dressed in the same clothes he saw him last.

“The repetition helps,” said Steve. “Can’t sleep?”

Stark snorts. “My sleep cycle is highly abnormal. I don't keep regular hours.”

“Oh,” said Steve. “So you haven't gone to sleep yet?”

“Nope,” he said walking in. “I actually was going to but then I saw the lights and figured it had to be you.”

“Does everyone know I come down here?” Steve asked, feeling a little annoyed.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” said Stark, “You’re not the only one who comes down here at 3 in the morning. It's just everyone else who does, is off base right now.”

 “Oh,” said Steve, “I’ve never met anyone down here before,” he said by way of explanation.

“Like I said they're off base,” tony replied.

Steve nodded and after a moment asked, “Do the kitchens have hot chocolate here?”

“If they don't, I do,” said Stark. “Sugar craving?”

“More like comfort drink,” said Steve, “and I like sweet things.”

“If you weren't you I'd have thought that was kinky,” Stark told him. Steve stared at him blankly for a moment and then let out a startled laugh.

“No,” he said, chuckling. Tony grinned back at him and waited while Steve unwrapped his hands.

The kitchen did indeed have hot chocolate and they moved around it making their drinks in a comfortable silence.

“I think the electric kettle is one of the best things to ever have been invented,” Steve commented. Stark choked on his hot chocolate. Steve helpfully pounded him on the back.

“Hold up,” said Stark when he could breathe again. “The electric kettle?” That's where you stopped?”

“I didn't say that's where I stopped,” Steve said mildly, “I just said that it was one of the best things to be invented.”

“Um holograms,” said Tony, “highly improved jaegers, the cure for leprosy, no polio, the cheese burger.”

“The cheese burger,” said Steve, “that’s where you stopped?”

“Are you just going to parrot back everything I say?” Stark demanded.

“No,” said Steve, “I have it on good authority that I have a mind of my own.”

Stark laughed as he recalled their earlier conversation. “No, really though,” he said, “There’s way more to the future than the electric kettle. Please tell me you know how to use a smart phone.” Steve grinned, shook his head and settled back while Stark rambled on about the future and the technology available.


	4. The Test.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony drift.

 

It was half five in the morning when Steve managed to coax Stark into going to bed and stumbled into bed himself.

Luckily he managed to get a solid four hours of sleep this time. At ten he was in another section of the j tech labs getting suited up next to stark.

They made their way over to the jaeger and chose their positions.

“Last chance to back out,” said Stark jauntily before he stepped into the foot locks.

Steve shook his head. Stark shrugged and settled into his side of the jaeger.

 

“Alright ,” said LOCCENT, “don't play hero captain rogers. You get into trouble, you signal. There's a medic standing by. Same for you Mr. Stark”

Steve gave a thumbs up and Stark waved an irritated hand.

“Good,” the woman said. “Initiating pilot to pilot protocol.”

 

* * *

 

There was the familiar suction like feeling of being dragged into the drift and then he was immersed in a world that went so fast he began to feel nauseous. Pictures, emotions and accompanying thoughts flooded past him so fast Steve began to feel like he was caught in the current of a river. He fought to make sense of the images that went past, fought to orient himself in the onslaught but it was too much. It had the similar effect of having so much images flashing in front your eyes that you froze, only this time there was the added effect of feeling your mind rip apart under the weight of too much information to process. Steve couldn't even react to let the thoughts drift naturally past. He gasped fighting to find the silence of the drift but couldn't.

After an agonizingly long moment of deliberation Steve hit the panic button.

The pons dialed down and Steve and Tony were released. Steve gasped, pulled the helmet of his head and sat.

Blood leaked from his nose and he knew one of his eyes were hemorrhaging.

Medics were in a few seconds later and quickly running over Steve's vitals. Steve waved them away.

“It'll heal,” he said, “just give me a few moments.”

“Well cap you made a record,” said Tony, almost dispassionately “a whole 5 mins.”

“Only?” Said Steve, “I’m kinda disappointed.”

Tony gave a huff of laughter but his eyes were confused.

“You mind waiting an hour?” Steve asked him. “That's how long it’ll take for me to heal up.”

That knocked Stark straight out of his dispassionate facade.

“Wait you want to try again?”

“Sure,” Steve, “if you don't mind.”

“You sure you don't have a death wish?” asked Stark eyeing him like he was crazy.

“Pretty sure,” said Steve.

Stark considered and then said, “Your brain,” and shrugged.

Both Steve and tony sat inside the jaeger until the hour was up. The medics checked out Steve, declared him fit and then they began to hook up all over again.

“Just a warning,” said stark, “this isn't going to go any better.”

“Think of one thing,” said Steve, “let’s see if that helps.”

“My brain can't think of only one thing,” said Stark. “That’s just how it is.”

“A picture,” said Steve, “one picture, think about the picture all you want but just that picture.”

There was a pause and then Tony said, “alright”

Steve pressed the comm. and said, “initiate protocol.”

LOCCENT indicated that they received and the AI stated, “initiating pilot to pilot protocol.”

There was a breathless moment and then Steve was sucked into the drift and into Tony’s head.

For a few agonizing seconds there was the super-fast onslaught of thoughts but then it narrowed and Steve was thrown face first into the blueprint of a jaeger.

It was 3D, made out of blue shimmering lines and extremely detailed. But Steve knew art and the details didn't floor him. It was still difficult though because Stark and equations and angles popping out of every joint in the jaeger, virtual pistons moved and rotated, and the associated equations and sizes appeared next to them like they were being typed out, power draw, connections, hydraulics, in short everything that could be noted and calculated in the making of a jaeger.

It was still overwhelming but much more manageable. Steve was literally skirting the edge of chasing the rabbit in order to handle Tony's neural load but after a few moments he got used to walking the tightrope.

After a while Steve was able to let go of the dizzying details and let Tony’s thoughts fall into a background murmur. He listened to the murmur, established a baseline and began picking out the peaks of thought that he should pay attention to.

When Tony realized that he had settled, he upped the ante with a complicated 3D sketch of the shatterdome, running at the same time as the jaeger blueprint. The pons was added next, and then the chemical formula for kaiju blue, and the ingredients for the perfect cheese burger which included a history of where and how those ingredients were procured, the schematics for an electrics kettle, then Tony building a robot when he was five, a gorgeous woman picking him up, a warm male voice that wasn't Howard’s and on and on but Steve was at this time able to let the thoughts run past without being bowled over and tony stopped every now and then to allow Steve to establish a baseline for his thoughts.

Finally, Steve was thrown into the blessed silence of the drift.

Right hemisphere calibrated, left hemisphere calibrated, the AI voice sounded.

Steve moved the right hand, tony moved the left and they brought the jaeger's fists together.

“Are you two alright in there?” asked Hill.

“Yeah,” said Steve grinning at Tony through the helmets. “We’re good.”

“Well that's good to hear,” said Fury dryly, “because it's been four hours since you started this attempt.”

Steve felt Tony's shock color his own.

“What?” Stark demanded.

“It's been four hours,” said Hill, “but the neural bridge is holding steady.”

“Alright,” said fury, “go through basic motion check and power down.”

Steve could feel Tony daring him.

_Ready to do this old man?_

_Bring it greenie_

Tony laughed, his laughter a beautiful spiral of decibel values in Steve's mind and then they were moving.

 

* * *

 

He has forgotten what it felt like. What being in a jaeger was like. This was different though, the drift was smoother, the connection to the jaeger faster, the jaeger response was faster.

 _'Bucky would love this,'_ he thought involuntarily and suddenly his mind was jolted to the heart stopping moment to when Bucky was ripped out their Jaeger.

He struggled and dragged himself out the memory only to be caught in one of Stark’s.

_A dark cave, gun fire, something classified, the tempo of Stark’s emotions dialing up and down like a voltmeter._

Steve ruthlessly threw the ripping tearing memory of Bucky being pulled out of his head at them both and the shock of it was enough to drag Stark out of his head.

Steve let go of the memory and they both stabilized. Steve opened his eyes and his ears caught the sound of Stark breathing harshly.

“You both okay in there?” asked hill.

“Peachy,” said Stark his voice loaded with sarcasm.

Steve gave him an apologetic grimace that he had meant as a smile and they continued.

The rest of the test continued without mishap and they eventually powered off and disengaged.

Stark peeled off his helmet and said.

“I can use a drink.”

Steve gave him a weary smile and said, “Only if its water.”

“Gatorade,” Tony rejoined and Steve succumbed.

“Gatorade,” he said and his copilot grinned in triumph and proceeded out the Jaeger.

 


	5. Settling In.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a filler really and not very long.

Steve moved into Tony's room because Stark clearly had more stuff than he did. Steve had one more duffle than he started out with.

Tony had cleared out the other bunk from whatever machinery that had lain there and had shuffled whatever he could to his side of the room to make room for Steve.

Steve dumped his duffels in his little closet and packed his shield in the space that was left.

Tony was conspicuously absent when Steve moved in but Steve didn't get the feeling that it had anything to do with him but more with Tony inability to be a warm fuzzy roommate. That he’d cleared out his stuff was enough to tell Steve that he was welcome. Steve also suspected that anything more would have been fake and therefore unwelcoming.

He spent the rest of the day without seeing Tony. The J-tech was hard at work in the J-science labs and Steve returned to LOCCENT and the students.

In LOCCENT no one said anything about his pairing up but when Steve went down to work with the students he got plenty of speculative glances even if no one came right out and said anything.

Steve went in for dinner and then frowned remembering what he’d seen in Tony's mind, built up a tray and then carried it up to the labs.

Tony was working on something so Steve left the tray with another tech who dropped in on the table next to Stark who didn't even look up, and went back to work.

 It was strange this. It was strange not having a co-pilot who he was so very close too but he was very, very glad that it was so different from what he’d had with Bucky. It let him focus on the now and not get drowned in his grief.

Steve sat up breathing hard from a nightmare. The room door cracking open had him lifting the gun under his pillow and point in it at the intruder.

“I would say I'm innocent,” said Stark, “but I'm usually not.”

Steve blinked and put down the gun. “Sorry,” he said.

Stark shrugged, took off his jacket and turned on lamp in the center of the room. “I’m going to do some work,” he said.

“Go ahead,” said Steve forcing back the protest that Stark had basically worked all day. “Stark wouldn’t appreciate his concern. Far more likely he’d read it as Steve trying to tell him how to live his life and be coolly offended.  He lay back down and after while managed to go to sleep with the sounds of soft hissing from whatever Stark was soldering.

* * *

 

Steve's eyes flew open when the lamp clicked off. He sat up scrubbed his face glad for the sound that had snapped him out of another nightmare. He breathed in deeply and said, “I’m heading out.”

He got up, got out to the gym and began to work on the bag, punching as if he could punch out the out the sound d of gunfire from his mind, stop kaiju roars from reverberating, and Bucky’s scream from echoing over and over again.

It was nearly three am in the morning when Steve found his way back to his bunk. He entered all set to drop on the bed when the smell of hot chocolate stopped him. There on the dresser was an innocent cup wafting delicious comfort towards him.

Steve blinked, looked at Stark who was actually asleep already and then smiled. It looked like Stark had seen the tray after all.

* * *

 

They were both up at five heading to the training mats before the students hit them. They took their time each to stretch and practice on their own and then finally they entered the ring.

Sparing was no less fun this time around or less challenging.

They knew each other better now and that made it harder but it also made it way more enjoyable. They weren't just trying to beat each other, they were trying to learn to work together, learning the way their bodies moved, bent and shifted. What were each other’s tells, the parts of their technique they needed brushing up on.

Steve found a beautiful symmetry in the fact that mentally Tony was far faster, while physically Steve was.

Tony was plenty fast though, as he'd noted before, but even more, he acted like someone who knew how to work with augmented strength. There was carefulness and precision that was present when he struck his blows as if he had to tamp down on his strength the way Steve did.

Steve remembered that flash of something classified.

If being in a jaeger made you feel like you could take on a hurricane, that classified something felt like you could take a precision blade to every drop of rain and never miss, like you could fly between them and never be touched, like you could soar through a cyclone’s gale and feel free. It was a far more addicting power than that which a jaeger gave because a jaeger made you feel like there were no limitations, like you never had. But in that classified piece of art, you were aware of all the limitations that you’d had and you reveled in the joy that you had broken every one of them.

It was sleek, deadly and clever and had his copilot written all the way down to its titanium bones and running through it’s powered veins. It fit Tony though, because Stark was a man who knew how to handle power and handle it well. And that classified something, it was a power.

Tony almost whacked Steve on his eyebrow but before he could say something taunting, Steve whirled around and knocked him of his feet. Tony did something complicated with his legs that spun him away from Steve’s staff and then he was rolling to his feet.

A few blows later then the two of them found themselves with staffs at their throat and wild grins on their faces. Blue and brown eyes locked and for a moment it didn’t matter that there was no pons system tying them together, their minds were one.

After a moment, they stepped back and Tony said, “I would pay money to see you spar with Clint or Natasha.”

Steve tilted his head, trying to shove down an irrational feeling of hurt that Tony would want him to attempt to pilot with anyone else.

“A pair of copilots,” he said, in explanation and Steve’s chest lightened. “They come from pretty shady backgrounds but they’re excellent fighters and on assignment to Antartica right now.”

Steve shivered at the mention and nodded. “Maybe I’ll get the chance if they’re assigned back,” he said.

Tony shrugged and hen said, “I’m gonna hit the shower, see you later old man.”

“See you later,” Steve called back, “2 o’clock.” Tony waved a hand to show he'd heard. They had a jaeger training session at two. Steve was oddly looking forward to it.


	6. First Fight.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

 

The claxons went on just after diner. Movement in the breach. It’d been two weeks since Tony and Steve had become co-pilots. Steve heard his name paging over the system and promptly headed straight to the prep chambers.

Tony met him on the way in.

“Ready for this old man?” he said.

“Are you?” Steve shot back.

“Way before you were unfrozen,” Tony responded which startled a laugh out of Steve.

They swept through the doors together and into the room full of bustling prep teams.

There was no more conversation while they were quickly fitted into their combat suits and then, they were out the next set of doors, straight to the Jaeger bay.

“Let’s hope you two link faster this time,” Fury says. “Half an hour is still too long but you’re the only team we have on base right now.”

“Don’t worry Marshall,” Steve said, “We’ll be fine.”

“Pretty sure that’s not the reply he was looking for,” Tony told him dryly.

“I know,” said Steve. He pressed the comms. again and said, “Initiate pilot to pilot protocol.”

“Initiating pilot to pilot protocol,” the automate voice said a moment.

There was a pause and then Steve was sucked into the drift.

It seemed like forever but it was only somewhere around 30 seconds later that the neural bridge was holding steady.

“Longer than I thought,” Steve said.

“It’s the adrenaline,” Tony said. His voice wasn’t apologetic but his thoughts carried a slightly apologetic cast. The adrenaline made Tony’s thoughts spiral faster than usual. Steve took note of the fact that emotions came over their drift better.

“No problem,” said Steve, “The only problem we have right now is the kaiju trying to destroy Hong Kong.”

“It won’t be a problem for long,” said Tony in a voice of dark satisfaction.

“No,” agreed Steve.

 

* * *

 

“Alright,” said Fury, when their jaeger, Diablo Intercept was thigh deep in the Pacific Ocean. “Orders are to hold the Miracle Mile. Your kaiju is a Cat 4, codenamed Thrasher. It’s the biggest Cat 4 ever so be careful. Don’t let it reach the city.”

“Acknowledged,” said Steve tersely. He was tensing up, fighting the memories, fighting the rage.

There was a wash of cool, calculating determination through the drift and Steve clung to it. Tony kept it until Steve was back on his feet and then the cold calculation disappeared in the warmth of his fiery passion, his joy in the fight, his desire and need to protect the people at their back.

Steve sent a wave of gratitude towards him and then buckled down, guiding Tony’s fierce emotions along strategic paths. Tony let him, making adjustments and suggestions whenever he felt it was required, so by the time, Trasher leapt out of the ocean at them, they had at least 5 complete plans, 16 modifications and 32 half-formed pieces that they could weld together to create a functioning plan on the fly.

They reacted as one, side stepping out of the way and punching it in the face. The punch knocked Thrasher away to the side, twisting its body. Thrasher landed in the boiling waters of the pacific and struggled to get to its feet. It didn’t quite make it.

The drift was silence but the connection itself was humming, taunt and strong, vibrating with the strength of the connection. The drift was silence but emotion had no sound and it ran through them like waves of the ocean, threading their way through the trains of thought that made their way between Tony and Steve.

Two of their plans were discarded on seeing the makeup of Thrasher. Several of their bits and pieces had formed into another one. They kicked Thrasher in the side, knocking it off its feet again. The kaiju fell on its back and wallowed for a brief moment in the water.

It was enough time to charge up the plasma cannons. They scored three hits, missed the fourth because they had to perform a full body dive out the way. They knifed neatly into the water like an Olympic swimmer. Steve thrust one arm out, brought up his plasma cannon and fired into the water. The force of the discharge was enough to turn them around. Thrasher took the opportunity to bring both fists down on them hard.

Multiple red warning sprang up after the third hit. Steve and Tony grunted as the force of the blows rattled them in their jaeger.  Thrasher didn’t manage to land the fourth blow because Tony had used the time they were getting beaten to transform his plasma cannon back to a fist and to pull out Diablo’s chain sword, so when Thrasher raised its fist for its fourth blow, Steve kicked its feet out from under it causing it to made an unplanned dive onto their prone form. Thrasher got a sword through its throat for its trouble.

It reared back and off the blade. Steve averaged and emptied the remainder of the clip into the hole Tony had made. Thrasher crashed back into the ocean, headless.

“Nice shot,” Tony told him, rather breathlessly,

“Well,” said Steve, breathing hard, “I’ve always been good with projectiles.” He won a laugh from Tony who then took a deep breath and checked the display to ensure there were no more signs of life from Thrasher. Finding none, he let out a soft sigh and Steve felt his relief flood over the drift.

“Well that was easy,” murmured Tony.

“Well now you’ve got me worried,” Steve told him. “Besides, we haven’t tried to stand back up yet.”

Tony laughed and they began the arduous process of getting Diablo Intercept back on his feet because the ocean floor was just a little too deep to be of any real help.

“Come on young sir,” Tony muttered to Diablo, “You haven’t reached the age where your bones should start creaking.”

“Are you both alright?” Marshall Fury’s voice crackled through the comms. Steve reached out and pressed it to answer.

“We’re both fine,” he answered.

“Good,” said Fury and the comms. clicked off.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the most amiable I’ve ever heard him,” Tony said.

“You don’t say,” said Steve.

“I do say,” said Tony. “Wanna race him back, get some kinks out of this young boy?”

“I’m fairly certain that’s frowned upon,” said Steve but Tony was already getting into a running stance having read the answer from Steve’s mind.

He cocked his head at Steve eyes glittering. He looked strangely fierce, and if Steve wasn’t in his head, he would not have recognized the expression for one of joy.

Steve gave him a quicksilver smile and then said, “On three.” They were moving on two.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed!


End file.
